The Gospel reading today from Luke looks at two of the characters in Advent: Elizabeth and Zechariah, the parents of John the Baptist. It would be fair to say that they have a little more going for them in terms of being candidates in God’s service. Zechariah was a priest and came from a generation of priests. Elizabeth, too, came from a family of priests. The nature of being a priest would have meant that Zechariah was literate and able to read and write, a skill that would immediately have placed him as a leader in his community. Luke carefully stresses that Zechariah and Elizabeth “were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly,” not just the letter of the law, but its spirit too. And that is the key. God uses all types, including religious ones, but the heart matters, not the outward acts. I am struck by the mercy and love God shows. He chooses Elizabeth to be the mother of John the Baptist. Elizabeth was childless, and in the culture of the ancient Middle East, that was regarded as a terrible thing to be, even arousing suspicions that God was punishing you. And yet, into this sadness, God brings his mercy and compassion. Indeed, the very name “John” means “God has shown favor.” Lastly, I am struck by the way that joy and praise keep bubbling up to the surface. When Elizabeth meets Mary, the baby in her womb leaps with joy, and she is filled with the Holy Spirit. She bursts into praise – “Blessed are you among women… but why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” When John was born, we were told that her neighbors and relatives shared her joy; people were filled with awe and wonder, and the news spread throughout the hilly Judea. And that Zechariah, recovering his power of speech, also erupts in joy and celebration: “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel because he has come and redeemed his people.” There is something extraordinary about the infectiousness of their joy. They can’t help sharing their wonder, awe, and happiness with others. I wonder if we can do the same. Can we share our joy with others, the joy of a God who calls us, the joy of a God who meets us in thin places, the joy of a God who has shown us favor and gives us glimpses of the goodness of his kingdom? Like Elizabeth and Zechariah, let us marvel and wonder at God’s goodness and share our joy with others.